Blog posts that inspire

Elegant Living -Keith Robinson Inspiration

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Good Morning,

It has been a good weekend so far despite our loss last week. On Saturday my new carpet was installed in the family room and sitting room and I could not happier! It looks great! I am still waiting to get the stairs finished but we are off to a great start. We will finish the rest of the house next year. I will share some photos this week or next. 

In today’s post, I wanted to share this beautiful article about Keith Robinson. I talked about him on the blog in the past. In this article, they discuss his recent projects which include some new classes!

 

photo credit: Flower Magazine

 

One thing I love about Keith is that he did not let the history of his beloved plantation bother him. He mentioned that he has all of the tax documents and other papers discussing the property where he lived. He is fully aware of the 26 slaves that lived on the property and he did not let that stop him from turning the old plantation into a new home. I love that!

 

photo credit: Flower Magazine

 

I wish that I could take his homemaking classes. They sound wonderful! Keith is offering classes on cooking, gardening, and probably more tips on beautiful living. You should read the charming article about Keith and his work. See here if you are interested and be inspired. Have a great Monday!

 

 

Our Boy…

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Good Morning Everyone,

It has been a very sorrowful morning. Yesterday we had to put our beautiful boy Deacon down. The specialist told us that he had cancer which caused the paralysis. He had brain cancer. It has been an awful 24 hours but we know we will get through it. 

 

 

This is Deacon as a puppy. He was so stubborn and ornery. We loved him so much. He had so much spirit and love. 

 

 

This was Deacon in March of this year. I was taking a picture of Lauren and her bestie. They had both just turned 16 and I just wanted the girls. Deacon got right in the picture and sat down. I yelled at him to move but he didn’t. After I snapped this photo I felt it in my heart. “I got this photo of him for a reason” and here we are.  It seems as though he knew. He knew that this would be the last photo of him. Oh, I love my boy so much!

Sorry for the sad post but I just wanted to celebrate our boy today. We love you Deacon! Enjoy heaven! Have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

 

My Pop-Up Shop Inspiration

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Good Morning All,

And the fantastic weather here in Indy continues. I am loving these brisk morning walks. I hope they are here to stay for a bit. Lauren is back in the swing of things. The kids returned to school from fall break. I do enjoy it when she is off. It gives me a break from checking her work and grades as well. It’s crazy to know that in about 7 months school will be out and we will be starting Lauren’s senior year! Crazy….

Well on to a pop-up boutique that I have been swooning over….

 

photo credit: Stacie Flinner.com

 

I discovered a wonderful blog recently. I believe I shared this in my weekly email this past weekend. I found Stacie Flinner on Instagram and began following her. Then I found her blog and I have been reading it for the last two weeks now. In 2019 she designed this fabulous pop-shop boutique for shoe designer Sarah Flint and I could not be more inspired!

Next year I hope to have a pop-up shop in my sitting room. I plan on having beautiful treats, a lovely punch, fresh flowers, and beautiful clothes from the boutique. I want to invite a few women who I know would be interested in trying on the clothes and making purchases so I will send out private invites to those women. 

 

photo credit: Stacie Flinner.com

 

This pop-up shop completed inspired me to do this. When I saw this blog post I thought, “I should do this in my sitting room”. A few of my friends and co-workers already told me that they would come. I wish I could invite some of you but it will be local of course! If I can get this planned next year I will be certain to share photos and let you all know how it goes. 

 

Have a great Wednesday! 

A Birthday Treat~ Ginger Jar Cookies

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Good Morning,

My birthday was yesterday. I still can’t believe that I am 39. Wow…. 40 next year. I am actually looking forward to turning 40. I don’t know why but I am. My birthday was actually very nice. I had lunch with some of my co-workers, my husband sent me a beautiful bouquet of roses, and order these gorgeous earrings for me. I can’t wait until they arrive!

I did want to share these gorgeous grandmilliennial inspired cookies that my husband ordered for me from Geneva Baking Company. I saw her ginger jar cookies on Instagram and had to order some!

 

 

I was so excited when the box arrived earlier this week! I loved the blue ribbons. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Aren’t they gorgeous? I shrieked like a little kid when I opened the box. They are huge cookies I will tell you that! But they are so gorgeous! I wanted a bit of every design.

 

 

I got pink and white and blue and white. I also wanted the toile, floral and leaf design. The owner sent me many emails just to make sure that my order was exactly what I wanted. She was so kind and sent me an extra cookie as a gift!

 

 

The cookies did not disappoint. I took some to the office to share with a few people and everyone loved them! Everyone kept saying how beautiful they were and they truly are! I hope to get some ordered next year. I would really love some Chanel-inspired cookies but we will see. 

 

 

 

The ingredients were very simple. No surprises, just unbleached flour, butter, eggs, baking powder, salt, almond, and vanilla extract. I love the taste of the almond extract. That was my favorite. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I appreciate all of your support through the years. Enjoy your Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

 

A Special Note….

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Hello Wednesday,

I am still doing my morning walks. I believe this is week four and I am still loving it. I did order some new exercise clothes and a cellphone armband case. I will share those items with you all when they arrive. I am really excited about them. 

I received something wonderful in the mail recently. I was debating with myself if I should even post this but it’s so wonderful that I wanted to share it with everyone. Most of you know that I love Jennifer L. Scott’s channel and her books. I became an “Elegant Connoisseur” last year and have been getting my blog and boutique advertised every month on her channel. I completely forgot about one of the perks of being an “elegant connoisseur” and that is receiving a handwritten letter from Jennifer for your birthday! Well, I received my letter this past weekend and wanted to share the lovely poem that she wrote for me!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

She wrote, “Mrs. Shockley, sweet and true, always with her white and blue. Ginger jars and time for tea. Cashmere shawls and chinoiserie.” Isn’t that lovely? That put such a big smile on my face when I read it. I just love it! I will cherish this letter and poem forever. Thank you Jennifer if you are reading this. This was truly a treasure!

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

 

 

 

 

Reminders of Routine…

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Good Morning!

It is Friday and I am a little excited. I am hoping to leave the office early today. I really want to head to Hobby Lobby and look at some of their autumn decor. I will share if I find anything. I also want to go to the antique store just for a quick second and have a peek. I am still on the hunt for some brown and white transferware plates for the autumn season. Our daughter’s last golf match is on Saturday. She will have 18 holes and I am praying for nice weather because it is going to be a long day. 

The boutique should be having a new arrival soon. A cream plus size cardigan is on the way. I am hoping that it will arrive next week. If you want updates on new arrivals and to see photos, follow the boutique here on Instagram. 

In today’s post, I wanted to share some past posts of my routines and daily living rituals. I have been blogging for so long it still shocks me how I am able to come up with blog posts every week. I sure hope that I can continue. I hope you enjoy the inspiration!

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

An Elegant Routine– I wrote this in 2016.

Mornings at the Office– from 2017

 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley

 

The Dream of Consistency & Discipline – from 2018

 

Beautiful Morning Rituals– from 2019

 

One Chore at Time– from 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on Eating….

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Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well. This is our last week of golf for our daughter and I could not be happier. I know that sounds bad but it has really cut into her study time and she really needs that. Golf sectionals are this Saturday and we are looking forward to it ending. 

Our temperatures have skyrocketed again. Oh boy…. I miss my crisp morning walks already. A co-worker shared a new app with me. It’s called Map my Run and it’s by Under Armour.  It is the coolest fitness app ever (well to me it is)! I started using it this week and it keeps track of everything and the best part… it’s FREE! You guys should check it out. 

Speaking of fitness I recently read a list that inspired me in many ways and wanted to share it….. 

 

photo credit: Mrs. Shockley 

 

Of course, I am still reading Fiona’s book and it is full of “life tips”. On page 198 she gives a list of ideas on how to achieve being slimmer. And by slimmer, I mean whatever “slim” is for your body. Here are some of her tips….

  • Make it fun to be slimmer by finding inspiring role models- celebrities or people I know. 
  • Feel empowered instead of deprived when I skip foods that I know aren’t good for me.  (I tell myself this all the time)
  • Focus on nourishing my body with gorgeously real foods instead of thinking about the unhealthy foods I can’t have. 
  • Repeat affirmations to crowd out old, unhelpful ways of thinking.
  • Declutter my home, starting with my kitchen.
  • Declutter my wardrobe, keeping only what I feel amazing in. 
  • Line up great podcasts and audiobooks so I can’t wait to go for a walk each day. 
  • Visualize myself as slim and trim and know I am changing my size and shape to reflect that. 
  • Stock my pantry and fridge with healthy snacks such as raw almonds and other nuts, fresh fruit, and sparkling mineral water.
  • Commit to becoming healthier for good- my weight will follow. 

 

I hope you all found these tips helpful and inspiring. Staying healthy and losing weight is always a battle and it gets harder as you get older. I know for me I want to develop habits now so that when I am in my 40s and 50s I am not miserable with my health but happy, healthy, and beautiful. Enjoy your Wednesday!

 

Other blog posts on my website about eating:

The French Way of Eating

Healthy Eating is Elegant